Automatically-operative controlling mechanism for heaters



Lsfiy as? m4. 1,503,276

E. W. MARVEL AUTOMATICALLY OPERATIVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR HEATERSOrigina} Filed May 26. 1920 iwazzi Patented July 29, 1924.

NIB

1,503,276 FFICE.

AUTOMATICALLY-OPERATIVE CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR HEATERS.

Application filed May 26, 1920, Serial No. 384,250. Renewed June 12,1923.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD VVILLEY MAR- VEL,a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Automatically-Operative Controlling Mechanismfor Heaters, whereof the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing.

- Ordinarily, the gas supply to the several burners of a cooking rangeis only manually controlled by individual gas cocks local to therespective burners so that in order .to prevent waste of gas it isnecessary for the operator to turn the gas on or off in correspondencewith placing utensils on or off of the range; a precaution which isfrequently neglected. Therefore, it is an object and effect of myinvention to provide means to automatically control the supply of gas toa burner in accordance with whether the burner is 1111186 or not. As

hereinafter described, such control is effected by providing a valvemechanism in v such position that it is automatically operated to admitgas to the burner, when a cooking utensil, sadiron, or other device isplaced in positionto use the heat from the burner and, when said heatusing device is removed, the supply of gas is automatically shut ofi ordiminished by the operation of said valve mechanism consequent upon the.

- off. Moreover, as hereinafter described, my

invention may be so constructed and arranged as to be operated by theopening and closing of an oven door. That is to say; it may be arrangedto increase the supply of gas when the oven door is shut and decrease orentirely shut off the supply of gas when the oven door is opened, inaccordance with the condition to which the device is adjusted. I

My invention includes the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawing; Fig. I is a fragmentary, sectional view of a gas rangehaving conveniefit embodiments of my invention applied thereto viz, oneshown in operative relation with a frying pan and another indicated inoperative relation to an oven door.

Fig.'II is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, showing two valvebodies such as are indicated in Fig. I, each including 1 plate isoperatively engaged when in the position shown in Fig. I.

Fig. V is aperspective view of the detachable clamp ring indicated inFig. I encircling the burner tube, upon which said tappet lever isfulcrumed.

Fig. VI is a perspective View of the stop device carried by said tappetlever in Fig. I and adjustable to variably limit the opening movement ofsaid automatically operative valve.

Fig. VII is a perspective view of the detachable counterbalance weightwhich is adjustably connected with said tappet lever shown in Fig. I.

The gas range which is indicated in Fig. I is provided with the usualtop frame 1 adapted to uphold removable p ates 2 arranged to supportheat using devices, such as the frying pan 3, in operative relation withthe gas flame 4 extending above the burner 5 which extends beneath saidplates 2 in registry with the opening 6 therein. Said burner 5 isprovided with the usual gas supply tube 7 having the bell inlet 8 with aperforated cap 9 to admit air around the gas nozzle 10. Said nozzle isat the inner end of the valve body 11 which is connected with the gassupply pipe 12. Said valve body holds the ordinary plug stop cook 14which is arranged to be manually operated by the handle 15, and also theauxiliary valve 17 which is provided with'the sectoral lever plate 18,whereby it may be operated as hereinafter described. As shown in Fig.II; said valve plug i has a port extending therethrough which s adaptedto register with the passage 21 in said valve body 11, or not, inaccordance with the position to which said handle 15 is turned. Saidvalve 17 likewise has the gas port 23 which is adapted to register withsaid gas passage 21, or not, in accordance with the position to whichsaid valve 17 is turned. I prefer to make said port 23 of thecircumferentially tapered form indicated in Fig. III, so that the volumeof gas flowing therethrough may he adjustably varied to a greater degreethan if said port were circular. Such a tapered port may be convenientlyformed by drilling a circular hole through said valve plug 17 and filingone edge thereof.

Said valve 17 may be conveniently operated by the tappet lever 25 whichis fulcrumed upon the screw 26 carried by the clamp ring 27. As bestshown in Fig. V, said clamp ring 27 is split at 28 so that it may beclamped upon said burner tube 7, by said fulcrum screw 26 which engagesthe nut 29. I also prefer to provide said clamp ring 27 with a set screw30 having a pointed inner end to engage a corresponding depression insaid tube 7 so that when said clamp ring 27 is secured in the positionshown in Fig. I it may not be accidentally displaced. Said tappet lever25 is conveniently provided at its outer end with thedetachable screw32, best shown in Fig. IV, which is adapted to form a pivotal connectionwith said sectoral plate 18, by being selectively engaged with any oneof the slots 34 in said plate; so that, when said lever 25 is tilteddownwardly at its inner end, said plate 18 is turned upwardly and saidvalve 17 correspondingly turned to open said gas passage'21. The extentof such tilting movement of said lever 25 may be precisely limited bythe stop device shown in Fig. VI. includingthe fitting 35 which isadjustably secured by the set screw 36 upon said lever 25 and carriesthe stop screw 37 which abuts against the edge of said clamp ring 27.The weight 39, best shown in Fig. VII, is provided with the set screw 40so that it may be adjust-ably connected with said lever25, as shown inFig. I, so asto' normally shift said lever to its lowermost position toautomatically turn said valve 17 and close said passage 21; but theinner end of said lever 25 is adapted to be depressed by any heat usingdevice set thereo ver, so as to thus automatically open said valve 17whenever any such device is placed in position to use the heat generatedby said flame 4.

However, as some forms of pots and pans and otherfheatusing devices arehollow at the rbettom,f find it convenient to provide the inner end ofsaid tappet lever 25 with means to adjustably vary its effective heightwith respect to the top plates 2 of said range. For instance, as shownin Fig. I, said lever may be provided with the adjustable screw 41 whichmay be rotated to raise it to encounter a cooking utensil with a hollowbottom or be lowered to encounter a utensil having a flat bottom. suchas said trying pan 3.

Moreover, my invention is conveniently adapted to be operated by thedoor 43 of the oven e5, by providing said sectoral plate 18 with theextension 46; so that a valve 17 such as above described, when locatedin front of said door, presents said extension 46 in position to beencountered by said door when it is lowered to its open horiz'om talposition and thus connects the valve 17 of. the burner in operativerelation with the oven, without the employment of said tappet lever 25.

Although I have described my invention as applied to an ordinary gasburner ;-it is to be understood that it is equally applicable to anyheater, regardless of the nature of the heating medium, to automaticallycontrol the use of the latter as above described.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details ofconstruction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious thatvarious modifications may be made therein, without departing from theessential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. The combination with a gas burning heater having a support forremovable articles to be heated; of a burner extending beneath saidsupport; a rotary valve constructed and arranged to control the fiow ofgas to said burner, in accordance with its turning movement; and means,including a tappet lever operatively related to said valve and normallyprojecting from said support, but capable of being displaced to opensaid valve, by an article placed on said support in position to beheated; and an oven, having a door arranged to close said valve whensaid door is opened.

2. The combination with a gas burning heater; of a valve constructed andarranged to control the supply of gas to said heater, including a rotaryconical plug, a sectoral lever plate on said plug, a series of radialslots in said lever plate, and a tappet lever having an arm providedwith an adjustable member arranged to be selectively engaged withanyoneof said slots; said lever having another arm presented in position to bedis placed by an article to be heated; whereb v said valve is openedwhen an article to be heated is placed in position to be heated, and thedegree of opening movement is predetermined by the selective engagementof said tappet lever with said sectoral lever.

3. The combination with a gas burner; of avalve constructed and arrangedto control the supply of gas to said burner, including a rotary conicalplug having a gas port which is tapered circumferentially, incooperative relation with a port leading to said burner; whereby agradual increment and decrement in the effective area of said port isconsequent upon the turning movement of said valve plug; a lever platerig idly connected with said plug; an oven having a door arranged todirectly engage and turn said plate and plug; and a tappet lever, 15

heated is placed in cooperative relation with 20 said burner.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania this fifth day of May, 1920.

EDWARD WILLEY MARVEL.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. PAIGE, CAROLYN E. REUTER.

